Jews&#39;-harp.



No. 788,419. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905. C. E. MINGKSr JEWS HARP.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 15, 1904.-

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A62/MW C? V UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICES? dEWS-HARF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,419, dated April25, 1905.

Application iiled March 15, 1904. Serial No. 198,286.

To all 'Ll/71,0712, it ntf/1] cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MiNoks, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Brown and State of South Dakota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Je\vsHarps,of whichthe following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in jews-liarps and similarmusical instruments; and it consists of certain features of construetionhereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a jews-harp or like instrumentwith means for increasing its amplitude of sound and tonal qualities andfor obviating the necessity of maintaining the instrument in contactwith the teeth in playing it.

The accompanying drawing represents an inner or rear perspective view ofa jews-harp constructed in accordance with my invention.

l in the drawing designates the frame-bow of the instrument, and 2 itsarms, between which is arranged the vibrating tongue 3. fixed at one endto the center of the bow and provided at its free end with theangularly-arranged linger 4, whereby the tongue is vibrated.

ln accordance with my invention the harp is provided with a resonator orsound-ampliiicator which may be embodied in many different forms. ln thepresent instance l have shown it in the form of a pair of tines 5 and 6,arranged at the outer ends of and constituting prolongations of the arms2. These tines may be parallel or divergent within determined limits andat their point of connection with the arms 2 are bent or oifset` asindicated at 7, to set them at such an angle to said arms that they willextend parallel to the cheek in playing the instrument, the offsets 7 inthis connection allowing the ends vof the lips at the adjacent corner ofthe mouth to fold or project over or beyond the end of the tongue 3.Preferably the tines are solid and half-round or semicircular in form incrossscction, so as to present outer curved sides and inner fiat sides,the latter to allow the tines to iit close to the cheek to give greaterroom for the operating-hand in playing. At their outer ends the tineshave enlargements 5' and 6 of suflicient size and thickness to increasetheir tonal compass and resonance. These enlargements may be in the formof fiat disks or of any other form to suit the purpose. They stiften thetines and increase their Zone or range of action to preserve or keepwithin their tonal compass sound-vibrations which might otherwise bedissipated or lost. By the use of this resonator or soundampliticatorthe necessity of holding the arms 2 against the teeth toincrease thevolume and compass of sound is avoided, and as a consequence theinstrument may not only be played with greater ease and facility, butgreater freedom of movement of the lips and jaws is allowed for theformation of the tone-cavities by the mouth. Hence the instrument may beplayed with skill by those who find it diflicult to secure or maintainthe proper adjustment of the ordinary form of instrument against theteeth. Moreover, the resonator increases the sound to a great extent, aswell as the tone quality and tone compass, allowingtunes of high and lowextremes to be readily played.

As stated, the resonator or tone-amplificator may be constructed invarious ways. Hence l do not limit the invention to the constructionshown, but reserve the right to make such modilications as fairly fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as delincd in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isA 1. A jews-harpprovided with a resonator or sound amplilicator independent of theharp-tongue, substantially as described.

2. A je\vs-harp having a frame formed or provided with a resonator orsound-ampliiicator that is independentof the tongue, substantially asdescribed.

3. A jews-harp having a frame provided with arms, at least one of thearms having a prolongation forming a resonator or soundampliiicator,substantially as described.

4f. A ljewsharp having a frame provided with arms, and a resonatorcomposed of tines extending from said arms, substantially as described.

5. A jewsharp having a frame provided with arms, and a resonatorcomposed of tines IOO extending from said arms and having' endenlargements, substantially as described.

6. A jeWs-harp having a frame provided l IO extending from said arms,o'set from the l plane thereof, and having enlargements at their freeends, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereofl I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two Witnesses.

C. E. MINGKS.

Witnesses:

W. A. PAYNE, O. CURTIss.

